<p>Hollywood star Melissa McCarthy has apologised to her fans for giving a donation to a charity group with a history of anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion activism.<br />
<br />
As a way to promote her upcoming movie 'Superintelligence', the actor and streamer HBO Max partnered for a campaign called 20 Days of Kindness.<br />
<br />
The campaign aimed to "highlight and donate USD 20,000 to a different good cause daily for 20 days while encouraging others to lend their support along the way", according to HBO Max.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/life-fun/melissa-mccarthy-steals-show-on-snl-impersonating-white-house-press-secretary-12077">Also read: Melissa McCarthy steals show on 'SNL' impersonating White House press secretary</a><br />
<br />
The charities listed were Planned Parenthood, Make-A-Wish, Human Rights Campaign, Girls Who Code, The Trevor Project and Exodus Cry, a Sacramento-based Christian organisation that describes itself as "committed to abolishing sex trafficking and breaking the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation".<br />
<br />
But Daily Beast reported that Exodus Cry's CEO Benjamin Nolot has a history of inflammatory rhetoric towards gay people and abortion.<br />
<br />
In a video posted on Instagram, McCarthy apologised for the error in selecting the charity and also announced that the USD 20,000 donation has been rescinded.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<br />
"Hi there. It has come to our attention that our 20 Days of Kindness, which is something 'a kindness up that we started to kind of shine a light on 20 great charities'&nbsp;had one in there that, there's no other way to say it, we blew it," McCarthy said.<br />
<br />
"We made a mistake and we backed a charity that, upon proper vetting, stands for everything that we do not. So I want to thank everyone, on social media who said, What are you doing? Are you sure you want to back this?' Because the answer was no we do not," she added.<br />
<br />
The 50-year-old actor further said that she is "incredibly grateful" to the fans for pointing out the mistake.<br />
"We're sorry for our mistake. Oh boy, are we sorry for it. (I) can't believe that we missed it. And that's it. And I just want to say that I hope it doesn't ding the other charities because they're really doing some amazing things, and 20 Days of Kindness is really meant to shine the light on all of those wonderful charities.<br />
<br />
"So, let kindness continue and thank you. Thanks for the help, we really needed it," she said.&nbsp;</p>


Hollywood star Melissa McCarthy has apologised to her fans for giving a donation to a charity group with a history of anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion activism. As a way to promote her upcoming movie 'Superintelligence', the actor and streamer HBO Max partnered for a campaign called 20 Days of Kindness.

Hollywood star Melissa McCarthy has apologised to her fans for giving a donation to a charity group with a history of anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion activism. As a way to promote her upcoming movie 'Superintelligence', the actor and streamer HBO Max partnered for a campaign called 20 Days of Kindness. The campaign aimed to "highlight and donate USD 20,000 to a different good cause daily for 20 days while encouraging others to lend their support along the way", according to HBO Max. Also read: Melissa McCarthy steals show on 'SNL' impersonating White House press secretary The charities listed were Planned Parenthood, Make-A-Wish, Human Rights Campaign, Girls Who Code, The Trevor Project and Exodus Cry, a Sacramento-based Christian organisation that describes itself as "committed to abolishing sex trafficking and breaking the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation". But Daily Beast reported that Exodus Cry's CEO Benjamin Nolot has a history of inflammatory rhetoric towards gay people and abortion. In a video posted on Instagram, McCarthy apologised for the error in selecting the charity and also announced that the USD 20,000 donation has been rescinded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Melissa McCarthy (@melissamccarthy) × "Hi there. It has come to our attention that our 20 Days of Kindness, which is something 'a kindness up that we started to kind of shine a light on 20 great charities' had one in there that, there's no other way to say it, we blew it," McCarthy said. "We made a mistake and we backed a charity that, upon proper vetting, stands for everything that we do not. So I want to thank everyone, on social media who said, What are you doing? Are you sure you want to back this?' Because the answer was no we do not," she added. The 50-year-old actor further said that she is "incredibly grateful" to the fans for pointing out the mistake. "We're sorry for our mistake. Oh boy, are we sorry for it. (I) can't believe that we missed it. And that's it. And I just want to say that I hope it doesn't ding the other charities because they're really doing some amazing things, and 20 Days of Kindness is really meant to shine the light on all of those wonderful charities. "So, let kindness continue and thank you. Thanks for the help, we really needed it," she said.

Melissa McCarthy apologises for donating to anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQI+ charity

<p>After more than three decades together, Wang Tien-ming and Ho Hsiang finally decided to tie the knot when Taiwan's top court ruled last year that same-sex marriage must be legalised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But those wedding plans are on hold after conservative groups won a referendum battle over equal marriage which couples fear could water down their newly won rights.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The original landmark court decision in May 2017 made Taiwan the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage -– it ruled the change must be implemented within two years and sparked a wave of optimism in the LGBT community.</p>

<p>But almost 18 months have already passed as the government drags its feet in the face of conservative opposition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A referendum on whether marriage should only be recognised as between a man and a woman in Taiwan's Civil Code won <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/anti-gay-marriage-groups-win-taiwan-referendum-battle-179211">more than seven million votes Saturday</a>, as did another calling for same-sex unions to be regulated under a separate law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gay rights activists had proposed that the Civil Code should give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, but only garnered three million votes.&nbsp;<br />
Ho said that after the original court ruling he believed he and Wang would be granted rights given to heterosexual married partners, including recognition as next of kin.</p>

<p>This made the couple think they could at last buy a house together, Wang told AFP, assured that if one of them died the other would inherit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Wang, 57, is also the main carer for Ho, 75, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. He describes their relationship as "love at first sight".</p>

<p>"I want to get married because I want to say to the world: 'I don't want to be deprived of what is my basic right'," Wang said.</p>

<p><strong>'</strong><strong>Second class</strong><strong> citizens'&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Although the government has made clear the referendum results would not impact the court's original decision to legalise gay marriage, which should automatically be implemented next May, pro-gay marriage campaigners worry that their newly won rights will be weakened.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in, leaving room for conservative groups to call for separate regulations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As Saturday's conservative referendums passed the threshold of 25 per cent of eligible voters, the government must by law take steps to reflect the result.<br />
Ho said he would not accept anything less than the amendment of the existing marriage law as laid out in the Civil Code to put gay couples on an equal footing with heterosexual couples.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Having a special marriage law (for gay couples) means we are like second class citizens," he told AFP, adding that having a two-tier system would dent Taiwan's reputation as a trailblazer for equal marriage rights on the international stage.</p>

<p>"The Taiwanese value equality and freedom. If the gay community is been treated like second class citizens, where's the equality? This is our soft power," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taiwan's government has not yet responded to the referendum result and what impact it will have.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kuo Huai-wen and her partner of 13 years had also been hoping to marry on the first day that the court's decision was implemented -- a day that is yet to come.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kuo, 40, said she was "saddened and disappointed" over the referendum result, but still felt encouraged that three million people had backed the pro-gay marriage vote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kuo is pregnant with the couple's second child and said they would be forced to accept a union under a separate law for the sake of their children, even though they do not agree with it and want equal marriage rights.</p>

<p>"We have to be practical as we have kids and we can't afford to have all or nothing," said Kuo.</p>

<p>"We will register even if it's under a separate law, not because we are satisfied with that but because we need immediate protections."</p>


After more than three decades together, Wang Tien-ming and Ho Hsiang finally decided to tie the knot when Taiwan's top court ruled last year that same-sex marriage must be legalised.

After more than three decades together, Wang Tien-ming and Ho Hsiang finally decided to tie the knot when Taiwan's top court ruled last year that same-sex marriage must be legalised. But those wedding plans are on hold after conservative groups won a referendum battle over equal marriage which couples fear could water down their newly won rights. The original landmark court decision in May 2017 made Taiwan the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage -– it ruled the change must be implemented within two years and sparked a wave of optimism in the LGBT community. But almost 18 months have already passed as the government drags its feet in the face of conservative opposition. A referendum on whether marriage should only be recognised as between a man and a woman in Taiwan's Civil Code won more than seven million votes Saturday, as did another calling for same-sex unions to be regulated under a separate law. Gay rights activists had proposed that the Civil Code should give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, but only garnered three million votes. Ho said that after the original court ruling he believed he and Wang would be granted rights given to heterosexual married partners, including recognition as next of kin. This made the couple think they could at last buy a house together, Wang told AFP, assured that if one of them died the other would inherit. Wang, 57, is also the main carer for Ho, 75, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. He describes their relationship as "love at first sight". "I want to get married because I want to say to the world: 'I don't want to be deprived of what is my basic right'," Wang said. 'Second class citizens' Although the government has made clear the referendum results would not impact the court's original decision to legalise gay marriage, which should automatically be implemented next May, pro-gay marriage campaigners worry that their newly won rights will be weakened. The court did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in, leaving room for conservative groups to call for separate regulations. As Saturday's conservative referendums passed the threshold of 25 per cent of eligible voters, the government must by law take steps to reflect the result. Ho said he would not accept anything less than the amendment of the existing marriage law as laid out in the Civil Code to put gay couples on an equal footing with heterosexual couples. "Having a special marriage law (for gay couples) means we are like second class citizens," he told AFP, adding that having a two-tier system would dent Taiwan's reputation as a trailblazer for equal marriage rights on the international stage. "The Taiwanese value equality and freedom. If the gay community is been treated like second class citizens, where's the equality? This is our soft power," he said. Taiwan's government has not yet responded to the referendum result and what impact it will have. Kuo Huai-wen and her partner of 13 years had also been hoping to marry on the first day that the court's decision was implemented -- a day that is yet to come. Kuo, 40, said she was "saddened and disappointed" over the referendum result, but still felt encouraged that three million people had backed the pro-gay marriage vote. Kuo is pregnant with the couple's second child and said they would be forced to accept a union under a separate law for the sake of their children, even though they do not agree with it and want equal marriage rights. "We have to be practical as we have kids and we can't afford to have all or nothing," said Kuo. "We will register even if it's under a separate law, not because we are satisfied with that but because we need immediate protections."

Taiwan's same-sex couples put future on hold after vote defeat

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Melissa McCarthy apologises for donating to anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQI+ charity

Taiwan's same-sex couples put future on hold after vote defeat